Sol-gel finishing of bamboo fabric with nanoparticles for water repellency, soil release and UV resistant characteristics

This research work reports on the preparation of a durable hydrophobic bamboo knitted fabric with multifunctional properties using sol-gel coating method. The titania nanoparticles (TNPs) and silica nanoparticles (SNPs) composite sols were made using citric acid as cross-linking agent. The bamboo knitted fabric was functionalized by the dip-pad-dry-pad-cure method. Different ratios of TNPs and SNPs were made. All process and solution parameters of sol-gel coating method were optimized to achieve the desired fabric properties. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, EDS and SEM analysis were carried out to characterize the untreated and sol-gel coated bamboo knitted fabrics. The hydrophobicity, soil release, UV resistance and wash-durability of bamboo knitted fabrics functionalized with NPs (nanoparticles) were measured. The results revealed that the sol-gel coating of TNPs and SNPs on bamboo fabric was durable up to five industrial washes. Moreover, air permeability and fabric handle did not change after sol-gel finishing indicating that the fabric inherent comfort remained unaffected. [GRAPHICS] .